Ron Davies has announced his intention to join the Forward Wales party, which has been set up by another former Labour member, John Marek.

Marek, the Welsh assembly member for Wrexham, won his seat as an independent after being deselected by his local Labour Party.

He set up the new party last November and has now secured his most high-profile backer to date.

Davies, regarded by many as the "architect of Welsh devolution", announced his resignation from the Labour Party last month.

He lambasted the party's leadership for failing "to respond to the opportunity of devolution".

Vacuum

And speaking to BBC Wales, Davies set out his reasons for joining Forward Wales.

These focussed on the failure of Welsh Labour to address the key issues of the powers and funding of the Cardiff assembly.

"The case that I'm making is that there's a vacuum at the moment in Welsh politics," said Davies.

"Labour is looking too much towards London and can't focus on Wales and isn't dealing with the issues that could empower us in Wales.

"It isn't addressing the two big issues - powers for the assembly or reform of the Barnett formula.

"Plaid Cymru, by their continuing dalliance with the idea of independence, are just disqualifying themselves from serious consideration.

"There's a need for a radical, left-of-centre force in Welsh politics and we just don't have that at the moment - apart from Forward Wales."

And the former Welsh secretary added that Forward Wales shared his "vision for Wales which is fair, is prosperous and which is left wing".

"You could say it's the Labour Party with a Welsh attitude, but it isn't a pale imitation of the Labour Party or a recreation of Plaid Cymru," he said.